


Finding Home

by avescallaghan



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/M, Mandalorian!OC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:28:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21534499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avescallaghan/pseuds/avescallaghan
Summary: “What are you doing here?”Silence.The only sound was coming from the floating orb beside him.“What is that?”Again. Nothing.“This is not funny, beroya (bounty hunter). Either tell me what you want or leave.”
Relationships: Dyn Jarren/Original Femal Character(s), The Mandalorian & Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV), The Mandalorian/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 248





	1. Unexpected Guests

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr @sargesbarnesgirl // @writersxanonymous
> 
> PS: I've changed the POV to a third person POV. And I gave my OC a name. FYI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What are you doing here?”
> 
> Silence.
> 
> The only sound was coming from the floating orb beside him.
> 
> “What is that?”
> 
> Again. Nothing.
> 
> “This is not funny, beroya (bounty hunter). Either tell me what you want or leave.”

When Mera returned home to her small apartment that night, all she wanted was a quiet night in. After the week she's had, a warm bath, a full meal and a drink were the least things she thought she deserved. But what she didn’t expect as she locked her door close were guests.

The soft alien coo was what alerted to the presence of unwanted strangers within her home. Others might write the sound as nothing, a trick of one’s imagination. But Mera knew better. She was _trained_ to know better. Lightning fast, she whipped around, the weapon she carried aimed and primed. But then, the flash of lightning glinting of familiar grey steel made you halt.

It had been a long time since She's seen Beskar, the sacred ore of her people. It had been longer even since she's seen it molded into strong armor. And it had been a long time since she's seen _him_.

She stared for a long time before she found the voice to speak.

“What are you doing here?”

Silence.

The only sound was coming from the floating orb beside him.

“What is that?”

Again. Nothing.

“This is not funny, **beroya** _ **(bounty hunter)**_. Either tell me what you want or leave.”

And finally, he shifted, waving the orb forward into the middle of her living room. And that was all the response Mera was going to get.

Moving forward and meeting it halfway, she turned on the reading lamp by her favorite chair. Then, she peered inside.

Huge brown eyes met hers and she faltered. Slowly, the tiny creature within the orb revealed itself to her, massive ears and green skin all.

”What is this?!” Mera hissed. “You’re taking children?!!” Something old and fire-hot began to burn in her veins.

The Mandalorian shifted from his spot in the corner, with some difficulty she noticed. Mera tensed as he came closer, as more and more of him was revealed to her in the dim lighting.

Years had passed and still his presence affected her in ways she cannot understand. When she left behind the life of the bounty hunter, Mera knew she had to leave him behind too. It frustrates her beyond anything that in that part, she has yet to succeed.

As he stood before her, Mera could see the rough scratches in his Beskar armor, but there was nothing too serious. But then, she noticed the blood trickling down his pauldron and the concern in her bubbled.

“I—, “ He hesitated and Mera held her breath. “I need your help.” And then, he promptly keeled over.

She reacted on instinct, a lifetime of combat training making her highly alert to any sudden movements. “Whoa! Hey!” She exclaimed, catching him by the shoulders.

The warrior in her arms groaned in pain, his movements stilted. He stumbled on his feet, hissing as she maneuvered him onto a chair. But when she moved to stand, he grabbed her arm, lightning-fast.

“Don’t let them find him!”

“What’re you—“

“Don’t let them find him!”

“Okay, okay.” She promised him, not knowing who _they_ were. “I won’t. But I need to take a look at you, **Cyar'ika ( _Love_ )**. You are obviously injured.”

Only at her word did he finally calm down, slumping into his seat as if an invisible weight was pressing on him and he could no longer hold on.

During the whole ordeal, the little bundle within the orb shuffled into appearance, looking over its makeshift crib with obvious concern. Clearly, the child has taken a liking on the man in front of her.

“It’s alright, **Ad'ika _(Little One)_**. He’s going to be just fine.” Mera whispered as the hand encircling her wrist loosened its hold. “He just needs some rest.”

xxxx

He didn’t know exactly when he passed out, just that he was feeling safe and secure when he did. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have nodded off so easily.

The first thing he noticed was that the constant dark tint of his visor was gone and he could see in perfect color. His helmet had been taken off and there was a pull at his hairline that suggested the skin there had been stitched. He didn’t even notice he had a cut there. Secondly, he was shirtless and moving made fires erupt through his whole body, especially in his shoulder. But looking down, he saw that almost half of his torso was wrapped. Black and blue marred his skin, a result of the choice he made just days ago. It had done more damage than he thought.

And thirdly, he noticed the woman in the armchair across from him. He watched her for a long time, watching her sleep, prepared for anything with his blaster in her hands.

“I don’t want to do this anymore!” She had told him once, almost a decade ago. “Our ancestors were warriors! Warmongers! And now look at us!”

“What would you have us do?!” He countered, their latest mission weighing on both their minds. “This is who we are!”

“That is a lie and you know it, Dyn Jarren!” She snarled at him, the blood of the innocent still streaked across her helmet. “The Mando’ade were proud people and we fight warriors. We kill _warriors_.” He could hear the tears in her voice as she sobbed softly. “We don’t harm children.”

He blinked away from his thoughts quickly, turning his head in search of the Kid, ignoring the soreness of his body. He found it still in its pod, sleeping, surrounded by empty packets of what looked like packaged food. The Mandalorian almost smiled to himself, turning to rest back. Only to find her watching him. Uneasiness rose in his chest at being so exposed.

“He was worried about you.” She told him, ignorant of his turmoil. “Kept reaching out to get to you. I had to tie down a lot of my furniture.” She gave him a pointed look saying that he really needed to tell her what was going on. “Only settled when I gave him something to eat.”

“What did you give him?”

“Sausages.”

They fell quiet after that, until she broke the silence again.

“What’s going on?”

He met her eyes. Those eyes he used to know, that used to be hidden behind a visor.

“Where are my—“

“There.” She nodded in the direction of his feet, where he found the rest of his armor. After all those years and she was still one step ahead of him.

She stood. “Get dressed. Then tell me everything.”

And so he did. Once he was more or less comfortably secured behind his armor and helmet, he told her everything. From the top-secret bounty to the choices that had led him to her doorstep.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" She asked, handing the spoon over to the eager infant reaching towards her.

"Honestly... I don't know." He kept his eyes on the Kid, making sure he didn't harm himself. "All I know is that I can't let them have him. He's innocent."

"A Force-sensitive innocent."

"Yes." His answer was curt as he turned towards her. "And he saved my life."

She hummed softly. As if satisfied with his answer. Silent tension fell around them once more, like a blanket and he felt himself grow restless.

He missed her. He missed them. When he was with her, she kept him straight. Growing up the child of two Mandalorians, the customs of their people's lives strongly within her, practiced every day. He felt most in tune with the Way when he was with her.

Clearing his throat, he stood. And he pulled out a pouch. But before he could hand it to her, she was already shaking her head. She knew him well.

He gave her a nod of thanks and went over to the pod, making sure the Kid inside was safely tucked in for their journey. It cooed at him and he realized he had no regrets saving it from the Client. He turned to her.

"Thank you... for everything," He said, sincerely. She nodded.

As he walked towards the door, he felt his heart grew heavy. Who knows when he'll see her again, or if he ever would. He didn't want to leave, but he respected her wishes to separate herself from his way of life.

The Kid whimpered beside him, looking back longingly and The Mandalorian could relate.

But then, she spoke.

"You broke the Code."

And he stopped.

"I did."

"You're excommunicated from the Guild. You'll be hunted."

He turned to face her, something like hope blooming in his chest.

"Yes."

She was standing and she stepped up to him.

"You’ll need help.”

He tipped his head. “Are you offering?”


	2. Her Shame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mera had heard enough. She surged forward in an attempt to get to the Kingpin but her concussion had made her movements sluggish so she barely had gotten an inch off of her seat before multiple hands pulled her roughly back down again.
> 
> “He was a child, you bastard!” She snarled. “You better kill me now or I’ll make you wish you did!”
> 
> Aakh Lugar laughed. “Oh no... I'm not gonna do that." He took a step back just far enough that she couldn’t go for his throat again. "You humiliated me, Mando. It's only right that I get to humiliate you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. This is part two. I’ve decided to make this fic an OC fic, instead of a Reader fic, so I gave her a name. And anyway, the lack of content is kinda sending me into a bit of a writer’s block and I haven’t written much in such a long time, so I’m sorry if this is shitty. I hope with the new episode coming tomorrow, I’d be back on track. Also, I really need to know what you guys think of this chapter, if there’re holes in the plot or anything, so just drop a comment or wtv.

Her whole body ached. Underneath her helmet, her eyes blurred in and out of focus as the concussion took its toll on her.

“You think you could get away with that?” The voice was far away but the fist to her stomach was quick.

Pain flared up her chest and she doubled over as far as she could in the chair, coughing and wheezing. The metal around her wrists chafed at her skin.

But she stayed silent.

“You Mandalorians think you’re so good… So righteous.”

Mera turned her head to look at the man standing over her, the man that ordered her to kill a child. His jaw was blue-black from when she socked him a few days back. She did not regret it. Not one bit.

_Righteous_. What did he know? She hasn't done anything righteous in years.

"Where's that temper?" Lugar taunted. "You were so vocal before. Where is that beautiful voice, huh?"

She watched him without a word, knowing that her silence unnerved him like it unnerved so many. Besides, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

Unfortunately, however, this little act of defiance would not be tolerated. With a simple nod of his head, one of his men stepped up to her, and without warning, plunged a dagger straight into her thigh.

Mera's scream echoed through the room, distorted as it was coming from her helmet.

Lugar smiled. "Ahh! There it is,"

The pain was white-hot but breathing through the nose helped some. Years of training helped her realize that she has quite a high pain threshold. And she also came to know that a human body could only take so much. She knew that soon, either she would pass out from either the blood loss or concussion, or they would simply kill her. At the time, Mera did not care.

Lugar took a knee before her. "You humiliated me, did you know? When you gave me this." He tilted his head to show her the bruise.

“You deserved it.” She panted around the pain, teeth gritted.

“Because of the kid?! Please! He knew this was coming when he stole from me! He was a coward! I probably did his parents a favour.”

Mera had heard enough. She surged forward in an attempt to get to the Kingpin but her concussion had made her movements sluggish so she barely had gotten an inch off of her seat before multiple hands pulled her roughly back down again.

“He was a child, you bastard!” She snarled. “You better kill me now or I’ll make you wish you did!”

Aakh Lugar laughed. “Oh no... I'm not gonna do that." He took a step back just far enough that she couldn’t go for his throat again. "You humiliated me, Mando. It's only right that I get to humiliate you."

The hands pressing down on her shoulders and arms suddenly became tighter.

“You know, I heard that you Mandalorians never take off your helmets. Is that true?”

Like a bucket of ice water was just dumped on her, Mera froze.

"No." She gasped, shaking her head to keep him away. "No! Don't!"

He reached for her helmet and the hands on her arms pressed harder no matter how much she thrashed. "No! Don't do this!" But her frantic shouts fell on deaf ears.

"Please! No!"

"No!"

And then all of a sudden, the world went dark. And the sounds of a gun went off.

…

When she reopened her eyes, Mera found herself in Dyn's bunk, millions of lightyears and a decade away from that horrible place. Her forehead was cool from sweat and her chest heaved with heavy breaths. There was a steady hum coming from the wall above her head that told her they were somewhere hurtling through hyperspace.

Slowly, she pulled herself up, swinging her legs over the bunk and burying her face in her hands. She hadn't had that nightmare in weeks.

She swallowed thickly, trying to calm the emotions in her heart. Out in the halls, Mera could hear a soft voice speaking and she closed her eyes to let it wash over her. After all those years, she couldn’t forget his voice even if she wanted to. Not when it’s one of the only things he cared to reveal. And even then, he wasn’t much of a talker.

Being light on her feet was second nature to her. It was a necessity for a soldier. So Mera made her way towards the bowels of the Crest silently, taking in the man at the table struggling to clean his weapons with an eager infant by his side. 

“No, **Ad’ika (little one)** ,” He took the sniper scope from grabby green hands. “This is not a toy.”

The way he said it told her he’s said it multiple times before and Mera had to hold back a smile. In the darkness, she stayed and watched as the paternal instinct ingrained within every Mandalorian male came to life. It was always something beautiful, to see a soldier transition to a father almost seamlessly.

She listened as he spoke of the sanctity of weapons and the care of them. How they are a means of not only combat, but also protection, and protecting oneself and one’s family is the essence of being Mando’ade.

And then, he cut off and lifted his head and she was met with the steely gaze of his visor.

xxxx

She had been traveling with them for almost a week now and still, he found himself staring at her from time to time. For most of their adult life, he’d only ever seen her in her _Beskar’gam_ , the dark sea-green steel armor passed down from her father and her father’s father. He felt off to see her without it.

And apparently, so did she.

In her days with them, he noticed her avoiding the reflective surfaces around his ship. Sometimes, he found the mirror in the latrines taken down and propped against the wall under the sink, the front facing the other way. Other times, she averted her eyes whenever anything mirror-like came into sight.

He knows she still practices her training, keeping her body in shape. But never in his sight. At night, she whispers the names of her parents, her mentors and their fallen comrades through the years, but always a tad too softly that he always mistook it as her breathing. And he knows she has nightmares. He could hear her a few moments ago, thrashing in her sleep, pleading to an invisible entity.

If he was a gambling man, he’d put all his credits that he knew what the nightmare was about. He should. It was a memory... and he was there.

But he was too late.

By the time he was finished with Lugar and his men, he found her on her knees in the middle of them, curled over with her helmet in her arms. 

Unspeakable rage exploded within him when he realized what had happened.

He dropped to his knees before her, the sobs of agony and humiliation wrenching his heart to pieces. He moved slowly, placing his hand on her shoulder in a meager attempt to convey some sympathy.

It is a great dishonor among their people, to have one's helmet removed without consent, to have an **aruetii ( _outsider_ ) **touch one’s armor. He could only imagine the violation she felt then.

"Mera," He called and she finally lifted her head. Her tears were rivulets down her face.

He leaned and brought their foreheads together, Beskar against skin, wishing with all his heart he could trade places with her, take the shame from her. But, instead, he could only let her cry.

...

"Careful there, kiddo!" Her voice brought him back and he watched her approach and reach for the Child, who had gone wandering towards his Carbonite Freezing unit. She picked it up carefully, holding it in her arms like she would her own child.

"Have you eaten?" She spoke to it. "Are you hungry?"

"I fed him some rations about an hour ago." He felt the need to answer.

Mera nodded. Then, 

"We need to find out what he is, Dyn." The use of his name sent weird feelings to his gut, but the Mandalorian ignored it. "We need to know so we'll be better prepared... for whatever is to come."

"I know," He turned and headed back to the cockpit, knowing she would follow. "The Tribe is relocating the covert. But until then, there’s a village I know. Some people there who might know a thing or two."

From the corner of his helmet, he could see Mera visibly schooling her features at the mention of the Tribe. Who knows how long since she’s been around their **vode ( _comrades_ )**.

He waited for a second before he turned to face her. “You didn't have to do this, you know." He told her. "I don't want to drag you into anything... unwelcomed."

She gave him a small smile as she stepped up beside him, looking at the stars as they passed. The Child in her arms had its fingers tangled in her hair.

“You didn't. I came willingly." She said. Then, she let the smile drop. "Something tells me I need to do this."

He watched her. Whatever it was she felt she had to do, he was honored he was along for the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on tumblr @sargesbarnesgirl // @writersxanonymous


	3. A Temporary Reprieve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting Omera, in Sorgan of all places, was like a breath of fresh air. He didn’t know why but he was instantly comfortable with her. She was polite and soft-spoken and very understanding of him and his circumstances. Her question about his helmet was not surprising. Everyone asks at one point but what was surprising was that he answered her, truthfully. That, in and of itself, was not something he typically does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys. First of all, thank you for the good vibes yall!!! I want you to know, that despite how much I LOVE the chemistry between Pedro Pascal and Julia Jones, I still feel that the time they had with each other was too short, thus the romance fell a bit too hasty. And so, in this fic, I’m not gonna pursue that. Also, I KNOW their names are all almost the same. Guess what? I'm not that creative. And I chose Mera looong before I knew about Omera. Sorry guys.
> 
> I enjoyed writing this one. I hope you guys’ll enjoy it too. Don’t forget to let me know what you think. I’m not gonna lie to you, writing is hard and asks and suggestions always help. Thx in advance. Love you.

Dyn didn’t expect that finding Sorgan would change his life the way it did. He had thought they would lay low for a few months, wait for his brothers to make contact, or try to find some information about the Kid. Although he’d expected some trouble, he didn’t expect _this_.

When the AT-ST fell into the trap, and by sheer dumb luck and a few decades of combat training between him, Mera and Cara, the Klatooinian raiders finally realized that they were severely outnumbered. As their leader fell, the ones that were left turned tail and ran.

Cheers erupted from the villagers as finally, after weeks of hard work and careful planning, they were safe again.

"Was that the plan?" He deadpanned as he panted, submerged up to his chest beside Cara, who smiled back at him.

"Something like that."

The both of them scoffed good-naturedly, relieved and calm.

"Hey," A voice called and they looked up to see Mera crouching by the bank. She was smiling and her eyes were bright. It was clear she was happy. "You wanna stay there all night?"

Underneath his helmet, Dyn rolled his eyes. In the time they had been in Sorgan, something in Mera he hadn't seen since they were young adults came to light. She was smiling more, joking more. She spent most of her time with the teenagers, teaching them basic combat moves. From time to time, he would see her at the edge of the village, surrounded by some of the older kids, their eyes wide as they watched her move with her weapons.

Grinning, she reached out a hand for him to grab on before she pulled him out. Then she did the same for Cara.

Together, the three of them walked back towards the village to help with the cleanup.

It took them a few days, but by the end of the week, the village was back to normal. A relative peace fell over the valley and everything was fine. Everything except...

"Can I set you something in the house?" Omera asked and Dyn found himself a little bit tongue-tied.

Meeting Omera, in Sorgan of all places, was like a breath of fresh air. He didn’t know why but he was instantly comfortable with her. She was polite and soft-spoken and very understanding of him and his circumstances. Her question about his helmet was not surprising. Everyone asks at one point but what was surprising was that he answered her, truthfully. That, in and of itself, was not something he typically does.

"Uh, thank you." He said. "Maybe later."

The woman smiled softly. Then she turned and looked at the kids playing in the square. "He's very happy here." She remarked.

He followed her gaze and watched as the Kid played with the other children. They were quite taken with him and he, them and Dyn felt a pang in his chest.

"He is."

He'd been thinking about it for a few days now. His life is no life for a child and even now, with him being a fugitive, his life was not safe. Truth be told, he'd been contemplating on telling Mera the same thing. The both of them could stay in Sorgan, away from danger. Away from him.

"So, what happens if you do take that thing off?" Cara suddenly piped up after Omera had excused herself. She had been sipping her spotchka silently and Dyn was just about to enjoy the silence.

He sighed.

"They come after you and kill you?"

He took some time to arrange his words. Cara, a good soldier that she is, is still **_aruetiise_**. There might be some things that she couldn't understand about Mandalorians and their culture. So he had to be careful with what he says.

"No. You just can't ever put it back on again."

The truth is Mandalorians could take off their buckets in the presence of others. He himself has taken it off multiple times before. Mera had taken it off not a month ago.

 _However_ , what actually is forbidden is to take one’s helmet off in front of outsiders. His people were secretive and they were soldiers, first and foremost. Their anonymity is a weapon and to the Mandalorians, weapons are part of their religion.

His eyes traveled to Mera, who was also in the square, playing a ball game with some of the older kids. His memories flashed back to that day, and how ashamed Mera must have felt. He wondered how long has it been since she's put her helmet on. Did she never tried it on since that day? Did she try once in a while? Could she even look at it? Did she even keep it?

Does seeing him wearing it hurt her?

With that question, Dyn made up his mind. Politely, he excused himself from his conversation with Cara and made his way towards the ponds.

Mera had been keeping her eyes on both of her companions as she played around. The little one was safe, secured among his new friends, playing with a frog. But when her eyes traveled to the barn, she couldn't find Dyn.

Panic washed over her for a split second. But then her eyes registered movement in her periphery. When she spotted him, another feeling washed over her when she saw that he was heading towards the ponds. Towards Omera.

Something splintered in her chest. Over the course of their stay, she could see that there was something, a slight _tension_ , between her oldest friend and the widow. Even if he refuses to acknowledge it, she knew him all too well to not see it.

Mera didn't know how to feel. On one hand, the green tendrils of jealousy had slowly made its way around her heart. But on the other hand, Dyn Jarren deserves a partner, one that is strong and capable, that stands her ground and never backs down.

Mera knew she was no longer those things. Not since she-

The ball hit her feet and Mera tore her eyes away from Dyn and Omera.

"Hey, you're not paying attention!" Called Nara, a sweet girl of 10.

"Oops, sorry!" Kicking the ball back, she tried, she really did try to focus on the game. But that treacherous lump of muscle in her chest made her take one last glance. And what she saw made her freeze.

Omera had her hands on Dyn's helmet.

Every fiber of her being wanted to get angry. Every cell in her body wanted to fight, but she knew that if this was his choice, she could not interfere.

She did not realize she had been holding her breath, until it came out in a whoosh as Dyn gently, very gently, stopped Omera from sliding off his helmet. She didn't know what was spoken between them, but again she was torn about it.

Unfortunately, she was too lost in her own thoughts, that the sound of the gunshot made her jump.

" ** _Ad'ika?!_** " She called, but among the screaming children, Mera couldn't see him. Her feet were moving before she even registered them.

" ** _Ad'ika!? Ad_** -"

She found him behind Winta's legs, cowering in fright. Carefully, Mera crouched down to make herself small and non-threatening. Then, she reached out for the child.

He whimpered at her but slowly left his hiding spot and waddled into her arms. Mera hugged him as tightly as she could without crushing him, unparalleled fear melting gradually into relief. The child hid himself in her embrace, his whole body shaking.

"There, there! You're safe! You're perfectly safe." Mera didn't know if she was assuring him or herself.

At first, Mera did not know what had happened. But from the way Dyn marched toward her, fury radiating off of him in waves, with Cara in tow told Mera it was definitely not good.

"We're leaving!" He said as he passed her, making his way to the barn.

Mera blinked once. Cara mouthed "Hunter," at her. Her eyes got wide and she immediately turned to catch up with him.

When she arrived at the door of the barn a few minutes later, Dyn was already packing his belongings. He was fuming. The lines of his body rigid with anger, his movements hasty. Mera exchanged a look with the Child in her arms.

"Dyn." She called.

It was a long time before he spoke.

"I shouldn't have done that." His voice was modulated, but she still could hear how strained it was.

"Hey-" She stepped in towards him.

"I got distracted. I wasn't watchi-"

"Hey!" She stepped in front of him, a hand on his armored chest to stop him. "It's okay...He's okay. We'll get through this."

Dyn was silent. "You could have stayed here. The both of you."

Mera understood what he was trying to say. She knew he'd wanted to keep them out of trouble and she knew he thought that that meant separating himself from them. But she shook her head. " _We'll_ get through this."

Goodbyes are always hard, especially when they've made some very good friends. As they were leaving, Mera watched every face that was sending them off, committing them to her memory. But they are **_Mando'ade_**. Packing up and leaving is part of their blood.

Her eyes went to the little boy between her and Dyn.

They are **_Mando'ade_** , and This is the Way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
> Aruetiise - outsiders, foreigners  
> Ad’ika - little one  
> Mando’ade - Mandalorians, Children of Mandalore


	4. Trouble on Tatooine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Toro..." She tried to pull his attention away from Shand. She had to make him see reason. "Don't listen to her. She's trying to manipulate you."
> 
> But the assassin kept speaking, as if Mera wasn't even there. Her eyes bored intensely into Toro's. "Look, if you're afraid to take him on, fear not. I can help you with that." She had said and Mera nearly shot her then. "Take some advice, kid. You wanna be a bounty hunter? Make the best deal for yourself and survive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First I wanna say thank you to those who left kuday, bookmarked and commented on this story. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to read and write me stuff.
> 
> Sorry I was so late though. It’s kinda hard to navigate this with so little info, so this one is not my 100%, I apologize in advance. This part might be a bit mismatched at places, but I promise I will tie everything up at one point or another. In the meantime, please enjoy...

It happened so fast. One moment they were a team with the goal of capturing a notorious assassin and the next, she found herself lying in a pool of her own blood.

Mera could see the moment it _dawned_ on Calican, the fact that the Mandalorian, her Mandalorian, was the one that tore up the Guild in Nevarro.

She quickly drew her blaster, aimed it at the assassin.

"Toro..." She tried to pull his attention away from Shand. She had to make him see reason. "Don't listen to her. She's trying to manipulate you."

But the assassin kept speaking, as if Mera wasn't even there. Her eyes bored intensely into Toro's. "Look, if you're afraid to take him on, fear not. I can help you with that." She had said and Mera nearly shot her then. "Take some advice, kid. You wanna be a bounty hunter? Make the best deal for yourself and survive."

Mera held her breath. “Toro, please don’t!”

And then, Toro shot the assassin.

"NO!" Mera shot forward but was too late to see it coming. With one wide swing of his arm, Toro backhanded her across the face, sending her flying backward. Her head slammed against a rock and Mera's vision blurred.

Still, she pulled herself up.

Toro stood before her, his blaster primed and aimed.

"Don't do this," She said.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. But," His finger tightened and Mera gasped as fire tore through her abdomen. As she dropped to the ground, Toro stood over her. "Who wouldn't want to be a legend?"

Mera struggled to breathe, every inhale making her chest erupt. Her eyesight narrowed as she lost the battle for consciousness. The last thought she had before she blacked out was that she hoped Dyn was far away enough not to run into that slimy two-faced weasel unknowing of what’s happened.

The next thing she knew, Dyn was stooped over her, concern etched in his voice as he called her name. He was telling her something, but she barely heard him.

And then, a hand slid over her torso. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Dyn pull something from his pocket. She knew that tool. She'd know a cauterizing tool anywhere.

"Ready?" Dyn's voice sounded garbled but she just nodded.

A second of hesitation came from her former partner and then,

Her eyes jolted open and she bucked in pain as the tool worked its magic. She was by no means unfamiliar to it, but any kind of cauterization was no walk in the park.

"Easy, Mera," Dyn murmured above her screeches, her nails dug deep into his arm, bunching his shirt to the point of tearing. "Breathe."

After a second, the pain subsided and Mera sighed in relief, her body dropping like a stone. She trembled in the sand, the residue of the pain lingering intermittently along her body. A gloved hand cupped her jaw and she subconsciously leaned in for comfort.

But once she was coherent enough, she remembered.

"Toro!" She gasped, struggling to sit up, crying out when pain tore through her. "Th... the baby! We need to get back!"

Dyn raised a hand to stop her. “Mera, you need to take it easy."

She looked up at him and she knew he saw an extremely pale face and a pair of mismatched pupils. But she didn't care. They needed to move.

"Dyn,"

"He won't hurt him, _**Cyar'ika**_." She was so out of it, she didn't even notice he called her that. "Trust me... He won't hurt him."

~~~

And he was right. Toro might be new to the bounty hunters’ life, but he was not dumb enough to kill his one advantage over two Mandalorians.

As they reached the town, it was already dark. Dewbacks weren't meant for speed and even then, he could tell that every step was agony for Mera. Multiple times on their journey, he had to pull back on the reins to go slower when her pain became too much. Her breaths on his neck became heavier and heavier her speech slurring. But despite all that, she insisted that they needed to hurry.

By the time they reached the town, she was pale as a ghost.

Dyn helped her off of the creature before sending it away. Carefully, he slung her arm over his shoulders and they hobbled together towards Peli's.

"Mera, stop," He halted before they went on. The door was right there. It would be all too easy for them just to burst inside, guns blazing, just like they used to. But they needed a plan.

She looked up at him confused.

"What? Dyn, we need to hurry!" She tried to push back but he was obviously stronger. And he wasn't injured.

"You can't fight like this!" He snapped. "We need to be smart!"

"I am not staying out of this fight!"

"Mera,"

"I can't let him down again, Dyn!" She snapped at him. “I can’t fail... not again.”

That made him stop.

The events of Sorgan was traumatic to all of them, to the Child most of all. Ever since then, the baby the two of them had unofficially adopted had been having nightmares almost every time he slept. Most nights, both he and Mera were kept awake, bouncing the baby between the two of them as he squirmed and wailed to his heart’s content, tears of anger and frustration streaming down his face and nothing they did could soothe him. Neither knew much about raising a baby and both of them were at their wit's end. But out of the two of them, Mera took it the hardest.

She felt guilty for not seeing the bounty hunter, seeing the narrowly missed assassination attempt as a failure of her as a guardian.

But at the same time, Dyn had a feeling she wasn’t just talking about Sorgan.

Behind his helmet, his expression went soft. As did his voice. “It wasn’t your fault...” He said and taking a shot, he added. “There was nothing you could’ve done.”

Mera’s eyes bored into him in irritation despite being hazy with pain. Her jaw ticked, telling the Mandalorian that he had hit the target. But he knew he won’t win this.

Dyn sighed at the stubbornness of the woman before him. Here she was, quite obviously in pain and potentially dying, and she wanted in on the fight against an ambitious bounty hunter. Some things never change.

"Okay, fine!" He relented. "Let's see if we can get you to higher ground."

So, again, he pulled her against his side and they searched for a way to climb to the roof.

Once he was satisfied with the position, he set her down and gave her his Amban.

"Wait for my signal."

"I know the drill, buckethead!" She sassed him and he rolled his eyes.

Then it's showtime.

"Took you long enough, Mando." Calican was smug as he appeared in the ramp, Peli at gunpoint and his Kid in his arms. "Looks like I'm calling the shots now. Huh, partner?" He shoved Peli and irritation flared in the Mandalorian. "Cuff him."

"You're a Guild traitor, Mando. And I'm willing to bet that this here is the target you helped escape." The baby cooed softly, unaware of the situation they were in. Calican pointed the gun at him as a threat. "Drop your blaster and raise 'em."

So, he did. But in his hand was a flash charge. Behind him, Peli played along.

"Fennec was right. Bringing you in won't just make me a member of the Guild, it'll make me legendary."

And that's when he acted.

The flash charge went off and Dyn shoved Peli out of the way. In that moment of confusion, a shot came from overhead and hit Calican right in the chest and he went down.

Dyn acted quickly, rushing over to make sure the threat was dealt with. Satisfied that Calican was indeed taken care of, he went looking for the kid.

"There you are." Peli cooed and he turned to see her pick him up. Dyn's breath whooshed out of him in relief. He was safe. He was unharmed.

"How is he?" Mera's voice crackled through his comms.

"He's fine."

"Go-"

"Mera?" He called, ice running up his spine. He bolted towards the stairs "Mera! Answer me!"

When he burst through the door, he was presented with the image of a prone unresponsive Mera for the second time in less than 24 hours. His heart hammered in his chest as panic began to set in again.

It was like he was transported back to that place ten years ago, seeing her prone, broken.

"Mera!" He dropped by her side and reached for her shirt. Tearing it clean down the side, he revealed the wound he cauterized early that morning.

"She's just passed out," Peli's voice above him felt like a slap and he gasped.

"Wh-“

The older woman settled across from him, with the baby still in her arms and gently prodded at Mera's wound. Then, she put two fingers on her throat.

"The wound is clean, Mando. She's all conked out, but your girl will be alright with a little rest."

He stared at the lady, who had taken care of his child and was calm when he was going out of his mind. The only words he registered were "your girl" and "alright".

_His girl._

~~~

When Mera opened her eyes, she was back in the Razor Crest. Her mouth felt paper dry and her side throbbed dully. But she was alive.

There was a coo beside her and when she turned her head, she saw Dyn and the baby by the bed. She blinked for a few moments, unsure of what to say.

The last time she was in this position, she had just experienced the most degrading thing a Mandalorian could experience. The last time she was in this position, it was the last time anyone had seen of her.

She remembered pushing Dyn away when he came to comfort her then. She remembered how dark her thoughts were.

"He wouldn't let you out of his sight," Dyn spoke, coming closer and slowly depositing the baby on the bed. She watched as he waddled over to her. Over his head, she watched Dyn.

He didn’t look any different but at the same time a little worse for wear. There was a tightness to his body that she recognized as stress, a different, cold kind of silence emanating from him.

The Child tripping on the bed tore her eyes away from her companion.

"Hey there, little one," She greeted him, smiling softly as she pushed herself up with some effort. The child mumbled at her in his weird alien baby language before he raised his arms in the universal signal to be carried. Mera laughed as best she could but she could barely lift her arms without aggravating her torso.

Then, without prompting, Dyn climbed onto the bed himself, lifted the kid and placed him gently in her arms. Almost instantly, the child curled comfortably, eyes drooping shut.

When he made the move to go, Mera grabbed Dyn’s wrist, stopping him. Unlike last time.

"Please just stay for a while...” Her voice was raspy, but getting stronger. “We all need the rest."

It was a long moment before he reacted. And when he did, the tension seemed to seep out of him. He moved until he too was leaning against the wall behind the bed, legs splayed straight beside hers.

"You scared me." Despite the monotone of his helmet, she could hear the fear in his voice. He was looking straight ahead. "Twice."

"Yeah, I know." She sighed and leaned sideways to rest her head against his armored shoulder. "I'm sorry."

_I'm sorry for scaring you._  
I'm sorry for pushing you away.  
I'm sorry for leaving. 

All of these were left unsaid. But she had a feeling Dyn knew anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:
> 
> Cyar’ika - My Love, Sweetheart


End file.
